Post up up your 2019/2020/2021/2022 Blackfishing Pix/Reports/Adventures/Musings

[Leprechaun]

Great video Darth! I envy you guys that can fish shallow with real light tackle. My fishing begins at 50' (with current) and goes out to better than 90'. Still can fish light, but not ultra-light!

 

[Bucktail II]

Apologies for the late reports.....I threw my back out on Friday last week and spent 5 days flat on my back.
Fished the South shore opener on Tuesday 10-15 with 2 buddies and were a few short of a limit. Fished with the same crew the following day for 1 shy of a limit. Finally fished on Friday with just my buddy John and we had 1 shy of a limit to 5#. All these trips were in the bay....It was a good start to the SS Tog season.

 

[Snapprhead27]

Nice job guys!

Capt Mike will have pictures and a report later from today's trip. Let's just say the St Croix and my Daiwa Tartula with a Shimano Ultegra faired very well today.

 

[DarthBaiter]

Thanks for the reports and tackle porn!

This is the first tog season I'll miss due to hip replacement surgery.

I enjoy reading about everyone's success. While I'm not out there, I'll be trying rigs for my buds and busting balls from afar!! Lol

I hope the surgery went well.

I had a hemilaminectomy 9 days ago and it went so well that I started fishing 3 days afterwards.

Get well soon.

 

[DarthBaiter]

Apologies for the late reports.....I threw my back out on Friday last week and spent 5 days flat on my back.
Fished the South shore opener on Tuesday 10-15 with 2 buddies and were a few short of a limit. Fished with the same crew the following day for 1 shy of a limit. Finally fished on Friday with just my buddy John and we had 1 shy of a limit to 5#. All these trips were in the bay....It was a good start to the SS Tog season.

Watch that back...I threw mine out in Feb and ignored it till the pain was unbearable. Had a slipped disc and spinel stenosis and wound up getting surgery after multiple epidural shots failed to relieve the pain.

 

[OVERBORED]

Thank you.

Was walking the afternoon of surgery.

Have a great season. Love the videos!!

 

[DarthBaiter]

I was out again today. Fished my ultra light tackle and had a lot of fish but only one keeper. I let her go because she looked like she was full of eggs. Capt Jay had his PB of the season...a 21" fattie. He let her go too. Overall it was great day to be out.

 

[DarthBaiter]

Another great day out.

 

[OVERBORED]

You guys are like a well oiled machine!

Lol

Great stuff!

 

[Leprechaun]

Had Capt. Mike aboard today for a calm-seas togathon. Must have caught 75 fish (at least!), only able to cull three legit rec keepers to 4lbs out of them. Plenty of comm keepers though.

 

[OVERBORED]

Ironic that you brought up commercial keepers because it's been on my mind.

I haven't heard or read about any Comm. Violations but I know that when fishing is this good, 25fish boat limit goes out the window.

Guys also pen fish at the dock especially later in the year when slips are empty and fish carts can be spread out in any marina.

Hopefully I'm wrong but the fisheries enforcement updates have been quiet.

 

[Hunter704]

Yesterday fish western sound. 8 keepers largest going 6.5

 

[Matts]

Yesterday fish western sound. 8 keepers largest going 6.5

how deep?
ive been less than 20' so far.

 

[Hunter704]

how deep?
ive been less than 20' so far.

50/60

 

[Hunter704]

Halloween togging, Frank Sr,Frank Jr, Carla, Kathy, and myself had a short window to put some tog in the boat. Sifting through shorts in about three hours we boxed 11 keepers. Could have had an easy 5 person limit as we left them chewing, Frank Jr and myself had other obligations. Girls wouldn’t take photos. Frank jr had the biggest at 7lbs

 

[captmike28]

Halloween togging, Frank Sr,Frank Jr, Carla, Kathy, and myself had a short window to put some tog in the boat. Sifting through shorts in about three hours we boxed 11 keepers. Could have had an easy 5 person limit as we left them chewing, Frank Jr and myself had other obligations. Girls wouldn’t take photos. Frank jr had the biggest at 7lbs

I forgot to ask. Did Frank Jr. and SR. change the line on their reels? If you keep tangling with nice Tog like those it could be another disappointing ending!!!

 

[Hunter704]

I forgot to ask. Did Frank Jr. and SR. change the line on their reels? If you keep tangling with nice Tog like those it could be another disappointing ending!!!

Yes they did capt

 

[DarthBaiter]

Was out Wed with Capt Jay. Fished with Black Hole Thai stick with a Daiwa Tatula 70 SW. Pulled ina lot of fish including a 16" who tried to run into rocks. I was worried the soft tipped rod wasn't gonna get him out but it had no problem.

 

[captmike28]

Was out Wed with Capt Jay. Fished with Black Hole Thai stick with a Daiwa Tatula 70 SW. Pulled ina lot of fish including a 16" who tried to run into rocks. I was worried the soft tipped rod wasn't gonna get him out but it had no problem.

View attachment 86583
Following a few days off we were back on the Tog grounds this past weekend with 2 different and talented crews.

On Saturday I had my long-term customers John and Ricky, joined by Mitch and another veteran of my split charter crews Frank G. The brisk NW breeze heading across the Sound had me somewhat concerned about hitting my numbers with an opposing flood tide in my favorite jigging spot off CT. However, the breeze was strong enough to overcome the opposing light tidal flow in this sheltered area and as soon as we dropped the crab baits the action started. Although there was the usual stream of shorts the keepers kept coming at a slow but steady pace. Although I usually like to fish at least one deeper nearby dop here it wasn’t necessary as by the time we reached slack water the crew had already boxed 14 keepers to 6#. Frank, who is normally very deadly with the jig, put on quite the show having everyone else aboard almost watching in disbelief as he personally boated 9 of the keepers caught here. We did make one more drop in the southern region trying to take a couple more fish for that area’s limit and again, Frank topped off the catch with the final keeper Tog to make 15 total in the box!

Sunday’s trip was much more of a struggle as the light NE breeze predicted was quite a bit stronger. I had wanted to head east to Fishers but the wind made the choice for us so it was back to CT. Once in my jig area the wind vs. tide scenario made it very difficult for me to position the boat properly. While I usually have us on the desired piece on the first, or rarely, second try, I made 4 attempts to get us on the desired bottom. Each time the forces of nature conspired against me. We spent about 2 hours trying to get a bite going but only managed 3 keepers to 4# here this morning. Thankfully the nearby reef is a much bigger piece of bottom and we put ourselves on the right spot there first try. Again, a lot of sorting took place but we did manage to cull 4 more keepers to 5# from this drop before the new moon ebb tide started to scream. Finally, the wind dropped out and we were able to finish the day back in the shallows. Right on the numbers first shot and immediately the Tog started biting again. In the last hour of the trip the guys culled 3 more keepers to 6.2# a (PB for Sunday’s Frank) to run the tally up to 10 total fat Tog in the box on a very challenging day.

Hope to see better conditions this coming week as the moon starts to wane again. Only 2 weekend dates left this season if anyone wants to jump on them, Sunday 11/10, and Sunday 11/17. Water temps this weekend finally dipped into the high 50’s so the best is yet to come!

Capt. Mike

 

[Litugboat]

Quick trip in the bay. Started at first light limited by 7 . Used 4 crabs got 4 keepers scratched my head went home